DOUBTLESS HUT

Lake Sumner Forest Park, Canterbury – March 2022

doubtless hut

​Lake Sumner Forest Park straddles the Lewis Pass highway, which provides access to the area’s many pleasant valleys. One of these is the Doubtful Valley, which boasts a track and two huts: one predictably called Doubtful Hut, and the other more whimsically known as Doubtless Hut. The latter hut lies near the headwaters, and recently had a welcome makeover from a volunteer team.

​The team – Steve van Dorsser, Mark Church, Andrew Laing and George Moran – flew by helicopter to begin work. They reported: ‘We repaired the fireplace foundation, firebox and chimney to gain a fire that puts heat into the room and smoke up the chimney – not the other way round as previously.’

old fireplace

​‘We added heat shields to timber near the fire (this was heavily charred, so it’s lucky the hut hasn't burnt down). We added a chimney cap to top it all off. The team also replaced the leadhead nails, put in new clearlite, fixed the furniture and replaced the sagging canvas bunks with wooden slats.’

new bunk slats

​‘Quite apart from this hut being well worth a bit of attention, the Doubtless Conservation Trust is about to start trapping here soon. This hut will make a great base for our predator control work.’

the team in action

​‘Thanks to Hammett Sheetmetal, Hanmer Springs Helicopters, and Mitre10 Ferrymead for helping with this project.’

​Great work guys, thank you.

completed fireplace